Road spraying apparatus



Det. 10, 1950 l. E. GUNNlsoN RoAn- SPRAYING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-,Sheet l Filed May 1r 1946 MMV., .MQ AN wlafl mm. noK M QQ lirl n w O w .WMV 5 9J wl M W NHnN fom( w Oct. 10, 1950 l, E, GUNNlsoN 2,525,128

ROAD SPRAYING APPARATUS a4 ATTO NEX Oct. l0, 1950 l l. E. GuNNlsoN l K 2,525,128

ROAD SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed May 1, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3- FIG. 11

AI'NVENTOVR- /VoR E. GU/vN/so/v #MMM AT TGRN E Y Patented ct. l0, 195.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROAD S-RYING APPARATUS Ivor E. Gunnison, Baraboo, Wis.

Application May 1, 1946, Serial No. 666,398

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to spraying apparatus adapted for applying or distributing liquid material, such as asphalt, tar and oil, onto road surfaces.

It is usual practice to distribute asphalt and similar materials while in a heated condition, and for this purpose it has been found desirable to use a circulatory distributing system so as to prevent thickening or congelation of the material during periods when no spraying is effected.

It is an object of the invention to provide a spraying apparatus having an improved and simplified form of circulatory distributing system for maintaining the liquid at a suitable temperature and consistency.

Another object is to provide a distributing system including an articulated spray bar with a yieldably mounted extension forv covering road areas of different widths and for avoiding damage by striking obstructions, the bar further having simple and reliable means by which flow of liquid to the extension can be readily controlled.

Still another object is to provide a circulating spray bar which can readily be adjusted to various lengths without interfering with the passage of the liquid.

A further object is to provide a spraying apparatus permitting easy emptying or draining of the spray bar.

A still further object is to provide a circulating spray bar which is of simple and durablevconspray bar, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation ofthe end portion of the spray bar;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the spray bar taken generally along the line 6--6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 'I--l of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken generally along the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of a ported hollow pintle of the spray bar;

Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation of one of the spray nozzles;

Fig. 11 is a rear elevation of a valve mechanism for the spray bar, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section, and

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the valve mechanism, takengenerally along the line .I2-I2 of Fig. 11.

In the drawings, I5 designates a vehicle, such as a motor truck, having a frame I6 mounted on road wheels I1. The vehicle frame supports thereon a heat-insulated supply tank IB for the liquid material to be sprayed, this material being of various kinds,.such as asphalt, tar, oil andemulsion. As some of these materials require heating to permit or facilitate spraying, any suitable means, not shown, is provided to heat the contents of the tank. The rear wall of the tank Yhas pipe terminals or outlets I9 and 20 communicating with a double conduit spray bar or distributor designated generally by 2l and hereinafter more fully described. A suitably driven reversible liquid pump 22, such as a gear pump, has a suction pipe 23 extending into the tank and a delivery pipe 24 extending through the tank to the pipe terminal I9. The pump is here shown diagrammatically, and may be mounted at any suitable location on the vehicle, preferably at the front of the tank. The pipe terminal I9 has a control valve 25 operable by a hydraulic cylinder 26 and also has a manually operable control valve 2l. The pipe terminal 20 has an air inlet check valve 28 normally closed by a manually operable control valve 29.

The spray bar 2I extends horizontally and Y transversely at the rear of the vehicle and comprises an intermediate section 30 and pivoted end sections 3|, the bar being supported from the vehicle in any suitable manner permitting lateral and vertical adjustment. The bar-supporting means is here shown to comprise a carriage 32 movable laterally on the rear portion of the truck frame and provided with bar-suspension cables 33 actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 34 on the carriage. The cables are connected to brackets 35 on the spray bars, and articulated guide linkages 36 are connected to the carriage and spray bar brackets to maintain the bar in a vertical plane of adjustment.

The intermediate section 30 of the spray bar comprises a central valve casing 31, Figs. 1, 2, 11 and 12, having anged opposite ends to which are secured, as by bolts 38 and dowels 39, the flanged ends of conduit units consisting of a pair of par-.-`

3 allel upper and lower pipes 40 and 4|, respectively, welded to vertical end plates 42. The valve casing has upper and lower horizontal passages 43 and 44 communicating at opposite ends with the upper and lower pipes 40 and 4| and is provided with transverse horizontal bores 45 intersecting the respective passages. Each casing bore has rotatably tting therein a sleeve-like diverter valve 46 with a pair of ports 41, the valve having an annular end flange 48 with a radial handle 49. The rotatable valve has a tapered bore Dy in which movably fits a cup-shaped plug 5|- with side wall ports 52 and with an axial stud 53 at its closed end. The hollow plug is coniined in an aXial direction by the valve 46 and by an end cap 54 having a shallow recess 55 receiving the small end of the plug, the cap being centrally apertured to pass the stud 53 and being v secured to the plug by nuts 56 on the stud. The

open rear end portion of the plug is exteriorly screw-threaded and provided with a wrench-hold 51. Elbows 58, Figs. 1 and 2, are threaded on the respective hollow plugs 5| and are connected to the lower ends of flexible pipes or hoses 59 and 60, the upper ends of which are connected to swivel couplings 6| on the pipe terminals or outlets |9 and 20 of the tank. The ilexible pipe 59 extends between the pipe terminal or outlet |9 and the lower valve 46, and the ilexible pipe 60 extends between the pipe terminal and the limited as by means including stop brackets 62 on i Y the valve casing.

The spray bar has a pair of generally parallel conduits formed by the valve casing passages 43 and 44, the pipes and 4|, and certain parts of the bar sections 3|, hereinafter described, these conduits being arranged side by side and preferably one below the other. The lower conduit is provided with a series of downwardly directed spray nozzles 83, preferably of the type shown in detail in Fig. 10. Each nozzle comprises a headed hollow screw plug 64 which projects downwardly from the conduit and is threaded into the conduit walls, the lower end of the plug having a slot 65 to produce a fan-shaped spray. A valve seat bushing 66 is screwed into the upper end of the plug, and a ball valve 81 is seated on the underside of the bushing, the valve being urged upwardly against its seat by a coiled compression spring 68 and being opened by liquid pressure in the conduit. The spring is guided by a laterally apertured tubular member 69 having an annular bottom flange 10 on which the lower end of the spring rests. The several valves are adjusted to open at substantially the same pressure. Upon cessation of liquid pressure the nozzle valves close so asto prevent dribbling.

The opposite ends of the intermediate doubleconduit spray bar section 30 are connected to the end spray bar sections 3| by respective conduitforming swivel joints 1| each comprising a pair of ilanged joint members 12 and 13 and a tubular vertical pintle 14. For this purpose the outer end plate 42 of each conduit unit 40, 4| is secured, as by bolts 15 and dowels 16, to one of the flanged joint members 12, 13, the other joint member being similarly secured to a conduit unit comprising parallel upper and lower pipes 11 and 18 welded to end plates 19 and 80, this pipe assembly forming part of the end spray barsection.

'The joint members 12 and 13 have respective rearwardly oiset portions 8| and 82, one being forked to fit within the other, connected by the tubular pintle 14 which is confined axially by screw-threaded end caps 83 and 84. A pin 85 in the pintle, Fig. 7, nts in a groove 85 in the offset portion 82 of the joint member 13 to prevent relative rotation of the pintle with respect to this joint member. The joint member 12 has a horizontal partition 81 dividing the member into two liquid passages 88 and 89, which communicate with respective valve ports 90 and 9| formed in the pintle 14. The joint member 13 has a horizontal partition 92 dividing this member into two liquid passages 83 and 94 which communicate with respective ports 95 and 96 in the opposite end portions of the pintle 14. The lower pintle cap 84 has a central upstanding tubular guide 91, Fig. 7, which is exteriorly screw-threaded. A poppet valve 98 has a stem 99 slidable in the guide 91 and is urged upwardly by a coiled spring '|500 against a valve seat |0| formed in the pintle between the parts 90 and 9|,the lower end of the spring bearing against the upper of a pair of adjusting nuts |02 on the tubular guide. The ports 90, 9|', 94 and 96 of each joint pintle 14 are so arranged as to permit communication between the intermediate bar section 30 and the associated end section 3| when these bar sections are in alignment, as shown in fullrlines in Figs. l, 2 and 6, but to prevent liquid flowin the swingable bar section 3| when it is swung rearwardly, as in the dotted line position shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The poppet valve 98 forms a check valve to prevent ilow of liquid from the lower passage to the upper passage, but to permit liquid -ow in the opposite direction.` as hereinafter described. The swingable conduit unit 11, 18, is connected at its outer end to a valved return bend or fitting |03, either directly, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, or through a separable interposed extension conduit unit, as shown at the right-hand side of Fig. 1, the return bend having an attaching flange |04. The extension conduit unit, which may be one of several different lengths, comprises upper and lower parallel pipes |05 and |06 connected at opposite vends to end plates |01 and |08. The end plate 80 of the swingable conduitunit 11, 18, and the end plate |08 of' the extension conduitunit |05, |06 are each provided at their corner portions with lugs r|99 in which are Ajournalled a pair of vertical rods or shafts |'|0 one at each side of the unit. Each rod carries a flat operating lever the free 'endof this lever normally abutting laterally against the pipes. The opposite ends of the rods |'0 have headed eccentric portions ||2 which are journalled in flat arms I3, the free ends of which'are rigidly connectedby verticalheaded rods |'4 eX- .tending parallel to the rods |10. Each ofthe rods ||4 carries transversely extending adjustable screw studs vH5 which are engageableV with the flange-forming end plate |01 of the conduit unit |05, |06,.or with the attaching flange |04 of the ated end plate, whereupon the rods I I4, and then the levers III, are swung inwardly, causing the return bend flange to be clamped to the adjacent conduit unit in liquid-tight relation. 4Near its final position the lever I I passes over center and is thus locked. The extension conduit unit |95, |06 is similarly clamped to'the conduit unit TI,

, Each return bend has a partition II'I dividing it into upper and lower chambers IIS and 9. The lower chamber is closed at the bottom by a screw plug |29 which includes a tubularguide I2! fora poppet valve |22 normally closing a port |23 inthe partition II'I, the valve beingurged upwardly tol closed position by a coiled spring |24. The valve |22 forms a check valvepreventing flow of liquid from the chamber I |9 to the chamber I I8, but permitting iiow of liquid in the opposite direction. The spring pressure on eachv of the return bend `check 'valves |22 is vso selected that these valves will open under substantially the same pressure. However, this pressure is slightlyless than the opening pressure on the check valves 98 inthe swing joints, so that the latter valves will not open unless the swingable pipe section 3|' is swung rearwardly to inoperative position.

In setting up the apparatus for use, the spray bar 2| `is vertically and laterally adjusted to the desired position, andthe bar end sections 3| are either extended into alignment with the main lsection 3U or folded rearwardly, according to the width ofV roadway to be sprayed. The diverter valves 46 are also suitably adjusted. Before spraying is started the fluid may be circulated through the system to heat up the parts, this being eiiected by running the pump 22 in reverse direction, thus exertinga suction on the spray conduit. The hot liquid is thereupon drawn from thetank through the flexible lpipe 69 and upper valve 46 and passes through the upper sprayvbar conduit, through the check' valves 98 or |22,` Vthe lower spray bar conduit, the lower valve 45, the flexible pipe 59, the pipe 24, the pump 22and the pipe 23 back to the tank. Y When spraying is desired, the pump is run in forward direction, drawing liquid from the tank through the pipe 2.3 and'forcing it through the delivery pipe 2li, the flexible hose 59, the lower diverter valve 48, the lower conduit of the'spray bar, and thesprayunozzles 63. The rateV of'ilow is suitably controlled by the valve 25. Each pivoted spray bar end section is suitably held in aligned position, as by friction and the abutment of the joint members,-and if the end section should strike an obstruction, suchl as a culvert, it will swing rearwardly without causing damage. If a narrow roadway surface is to be sprayed either end section is folded rearwardly where it will be retained by friction, or by any suitable retaining means, not shown. When the end section of the spray bar is swung through more than a predetermined angle, say 60 to 90, the ported valve pintle 'I4 will close communication between the end section and the main section. Upon temporary cessation of spraying it is desirable to circulate the liquid as above described. The circulating liquid will pass through the check valve in the return bend or tting |93, if this end section of the spray bar is extended, and will pass through the check valve in the swing joint 'II if the end section is folded back.

When the spraying apparatus is to be shut down it is desirable to drain or empty the spray bar. This is accomplished by running the pump in reverse direction to apply suction to the 'spray conduit of the bar and then opening the guard valve 29 to expose the air inlet valve 28, whereupon air is drawn into the flexible pipe 60 and the spray bar, permitting practically all of the liquid to be removed from the bar. It is then a simple matter to place the spray bar in condition for a subsequent spraying operation, as the passages of the bar will not be blocked by solidified material.A The lower diverter valve 46 extends lower than the spray lconduits 4I so as to facilitate drainage.

The spray bar is Vof strong but relatively light weight construction, and but few moving parts are required. s

What I claim as new and desire to secure by VLetters Patent is:

l. Spraying apparatus comprising a spray bar having a pair of generally parallel rst and second conduits the former of which is a spray conduit with spray nozzles and each of which conduits has an inlet, each spray nozzle having a fluid-pressure-opened Valve, said conduits hav-- ing a connection at a distance from the inlets of said'conduits, a fluid-pressure-operated check valve in said connection for preventing flow of liquid from the spray conduit to the second conduit but providing a passage for liquid 'flow in the other direction through said connection, a liquid supply tank, pump means connected between saidv tank and spray conduit inlet for se-` lectively applying liquid pressure and suction to the' inlet of the spray conduit, and a pipe connectin'g said tank with the inlet of the second conduit foriiow of liquid through both said con'- duits in series when suction is applied to said spray conduit inlet.

2; Spraying apparatus comprising a spray bar having a pair of generally parallel rst and second conduits the former of which is a spray conduit with valved spray nozzles and each of which conduits has an inlet, said conduits having a connection at a distance from the inlets of said conduits, a check valvev in Said connection for preventing flow of liquid from the spray conduit to the second conduit but providing a passage for liquid iiow inthe other direction, a liquid supply tank, pump means connected between said tank and spray conduit inlet for selectively applying lliquid pressure and suction to the inlet of the spray conduit, and conduit means having a valved air intake and connected between said tank and the inlet of said second conduit for selectively admitting liquid and air to the inlet of the second conduit when suction is applied to the spray conduit inlet.

3. Spraying apparatus comprising a spray bar having a main section and a pivotally connected end section, each of said sections having a spray conduit with spray nozzles and a second conduit for circulation, the conduits of said main section having respective inlets, said end section being alignable with said'main section but swingable out of alignment, a swing joint connecting said sections and having valve means with passages providing communication between the respective conduits of said sections when said sections are in alignment, said valve means being movable to closed position by the movement of said end section out of aligned position, a return fitting connecting the outer ends of the conduits of said end section, respective check valves in said joint and returntting preventing ow of liquid from the spray conduit to the other conduit but permitting new in the other direction, the chasis valve in fsaid return iittingopeningfnnder.less pressure than the-check valve in said joint, and meansfor selectivelyapplying liquid pressure. and suction to the inlet ofthe spray conduit vof the main section.

4. Spraying apparatus comprising aspray bar having sections each including a pair of -generally parallel conduitsone of which is a spray conduit with spray nozzles, said conduitshaving a valved connection at'their outer ends, a joint connecting said sections andincludinga hollow ported pintle providing a liquid passage betweenI the corresponding conduits of said` sections, a check valve in said pintle preventing ow of liquid from the spray conduits tothe other' conduits butproviding a passage for liquid flow in the opposite direction, a liquid supply-tank.. communicatingwith both .said conduit inlets, andv pump means for selectively applying liquid pressure and circulation-inducing suction to the inlet of the spray conduit.

5. Spraying apparatus comprising a lsupply tank, a circulatory system connected to said tank, and including rst and second conduits and a reversible pump, said first conduit being connected with said pump and provided with spraying means, said pump when driven in one direction forcing liquid into said rst conduit for spraying the liquid, and when driven in the other direction withdrawing the liquid from said first conduit, said second conduit being serially connected to said rst conduit and also connected to said tank to form a circulatory path for the liquid, and valve means for preventing flow of liquid from the rst conduit into the second conduit.

6. Spraying apparatus comprising a supplyk tank, a circulatory system connected. to said Ytank and including first and second conduits and a reversible` pump, saidflrst conduit. being connected to said pump and provided with sprayingl means, said pumpwhen driven in one direction forcingliquid into said first conduit forv spraying the liquid, and when driven in the other direc,- tion applying suction to said rst conduit for withdrawing the liquid. from. said first conduit, L'

said second conduit being seriallyV connected to said first conduit and also connected to saidtank to form a circulatory path for the liquid, valve means for preventing'flow of liquid from the rst conduit into the second conduit, and valve means i for admitting air into said second conduit under the suction of said pump to permit evacuation of the liquid in said conduits by the withdrawing action of said pump.

7. Sprayingl apparatus comprising `a supply tank, acirculatory system includingv a rst'conduit having Vspray nozzlesand having a connection to said tank, each spray nozzle havingv a fluid-,pressure-,opened valve, a second conduit connected tosaid first 4conduit at a distance from saidconnection and4 also connected tosaid tank, means including a pump for forcing liquid underpressure from saidtank to said first conduit for,- discharge through said nozzles, a check valve forpreventingow of liquid from saidrstcovnduit to said second conduit but providing a passage for liquid flow in the reverse direction, and means including said pump to .apply suction to said rst conduit for circulating liquid from said tank seriallyl through saidsecondlconvduit vand first conduit and back to the tank.

8. SprayingV apparatus comprising a spray 'bar having a1 vpair of generally parallel upper and lower conduits. thelatter-of which has valved spray nozzles, a valve casing at an intermediate pointof saidbar havingupper and lower passagestherethrough forming parts of said respective conduits, inlet connections intercepting said respective passages, the inlet connection for the lower, passage forming a sump for said passage, and diverter valves in said respective connections for selectively shutting off the liquid flow to either end of the spray bar.

IVOR E. GUNNISON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Numberv Name Date 1,490,522 Stocker Apr. 15, 1924 1,696,736 scovine Dec. 25, 192s 1,778,551 Etnyre Oct. 14,1930 2,011,894 Etnyre Aug. 20, 1935 2,123,156 Jagoe July 5, 1938 2,149,6694 Blood, Jr. Mar. 7, 1939 2,153,356v Walker Apr. 4, 1939 2,256,639 Erickson Sept. 23, 1941 2,278,819 GfredvellV Apr. 7, 1942 2,330,568 Erickson Sept. 28, 1943 2,342,120 Cartwright Feb. 22, 1944 2,346,478 Etnyre Apr. 11, 1944 2,352,498 Rosholt June 27, 1944 2,421,103 Wadsworth May 27, 1947 

